Pipe bending table with elevating means for the bending mechanism



p' 29, 1958 H. BLAGDEN 2,832,34

l PIPE BENDING TABLE WITH ELEVTING MEANS FOR THE BENDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 16, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 pri 29, 195@ m E WITH ELEVATING MEANS y FOR THE BENDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 1.6 LS-)55 E; Sheets-Sheet Ow MD INI United States Patent PIPE BENDING TABLE WITH ELEVATING MEANS FOR THE BENDING MECHANISM sacs H. aleguen, Arlen Park, Mich. Application September 16, 1955, Serial No. 534,759

6 Claims. (Cl. 153-38) This invention relates to a pipe bending table and more particularly to a portable bending table useful in the bending of electrical conduits and which is adapted to be used in conjunction with various types of hydraulic benders.

Heretofore, in the bending of conduits, the conduit was placed upon the iioor with makeshift objects under each end of the pipe on opposite sides of the bender, to thus hold the conduit at the right level in relation to the bender throughout the process of bending.

A primary object of the invention is to get the work up oif the floor and, more important, to hold the conduit level throughout the process of bending to the various degrees.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide an elongated table having a center section which is vertically adjustable from flush with the top of the table to at least four inches below in order to compensate for various sizes of conduit.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide means for suitable mounting of a pipe bender upon the vertically adjustable center section in such a manner that the pipe as it is bent is supportably positioned upon the main body of the table.

lt is the further object of the present invention to provide a manually operable jack mounted upon the table and joined to the vertically adjustable section to thereby provide an effective control for raising and lowering of said section.

lt is still the further object of the present invention to provide a form of conduit or pipe bending table wherein the bender is .adapted to be stationary in a horizontal plane, whereas, the conduit support elements are vertically adjustable upon the table.

These and otherobjects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the present bending table.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view thereof. l

Fig. 3 is a right end elevational view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a slightly different form of conduit bending table.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view on an enlarged scale of one of the height regulating boxes carried upon the table frame; and

Fig. 6 is a similar View illustrating the functioning of the adjustable shims for controlling the vertical adjustment of the conduit supports.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the present portable pipe bender includes a horizontally disposed rigid hollow frame 11 preferably constructed of elongated channel members suitably welded together to provide a rigid unit, and in- 2,832,394 Patented Apr. 29, 1958 cluding a series of transversely arranged longitudinally spaced cross braces 12.

The inner pair of cross braces define therebetween a central rectangular recess 13 within which is positioned the vertically adjustable pipe bender mounting platform 14.

Suitable legs 15 depend from the respective corners of the table frame with reinforcing cross braces 16, as shown in Fig. 2, and preferably with a swivel mounted wheel 17 on each of the said legs to thereby render the said table conveniently portable as desired.

Referring to Fig. 2, directly below the central spaced cross braces 12 and at their opposite ends are a plurality of depending suports 18 which, upon opposite sides of said table, are interconnected at their lower ends by the cross braces 19, of which there would be two, at least, one on each side of the said table frame and therebelow. Bridging said cross braces 19 and suitably secured thereto is the platform 20. Adjacent each of the corners of said platform and arranged inwardly thereof there are provided the upright guide shafts 21 having flanges 22 at their lower ends bolted to platform 20 as at 23.

These guides are adapted to have adjustably received thereover the depending tubular guides 24 whose upper anges 25 are secured to the under surface of bender mounting platform 14 as by the bolts 26.

Said platform 14 has a depending centrally arranged boss 27 secured thereto by which the said platform may be raised or lowered by a jack mechanism hereafter described.

Manually Operable jack for pipe bender supporting platform The boss 27 of platform 14 is supportably positioned upon the top cap 2S at the upper end of the upright vertically adjustable screw 29, whose lower end is threaded through the rotative beveled gear 30 loosely mounted and journaled upon support 31, whose base flange 32 is bolted to the bottom platform 20 as by a series of fasteners or bolts 33.

Gear 30 is in mesh with a corresponding right angularly related bevel gear 34 secured on rotatable shaft 35 journaled through suitable bushings carried in the spaced upright brackets 36 whose bottom flanges are secured to platform 20 as bythe fasteners 37, Fig. 3. A suitable hand wheel 38 is secured to the outer end of shaft 35 outwardly of one side of the table frame in a manner illustrated in Fig. 3.

Pipe bender mounting The vertically adjustable platform 14 is adapted to supportably receive a suitable pipe bender.

For this purpose platform 14 has formed therethrough a pair of parallel spaced transverse elongated slots 39 adapted to receive bolts 40, washers 43, and the holddown clamp plates 41, employing suitable nuts 42.

The pipe bender of the present construction includes a pair of triangularly shaped horizontally disposed vertically spaced die mounting plates 44 and 46, as shown in Fig. 2, with the lower plate 44 being positioned upon platform 14 and spaced thereabove as by the spacers 45 and adjustably secured thereon in the correct position by the clamp plates 41.

The washers 43 on the bolts di? are positioned between the platform 14 and plate 44 and cooperate with spacers 45.

A pair of pipe engaging dies 49 having an outer concave annular face are positioned between the plates 44 and 46 and are mounted upon the uprightbolts 48 which extend through corresponding aligned apertures formed in the forwardly arranged spaced projections 47 upon the forward sides of the said plates in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2. Said dies are adapted to cooperatively receive one side of the pipe P which is supportably positioned upon the cross braces l2 of the said table, the said pipe bender supporting platform i4 being vertically adjustable as by the jack mechanism hereinabove described so that with the pipe in cooperation with' the said dies, the same will also be supportably positioned horizontally upon the said cross braces.

interposed between plates #t4 and 46 at the rear portion thereof is a spacer housing 5i within which is centrally positioned the transversely arranged preferably hydraulic motor 50 which has a uid inlet opening 52 adjacent its outer end adapted to receive a conduit for supplyingy pressure uid.

Reciprocal piston rod 53 projects from cylinder 5d and carries upon its inner end a piston, which is not shown, and which will respond to the delivery of pressure fluid at 52 for providing an outward operative movement of piston rod 53 and the pipe engaging shoe 54, whose outer end Wall is convex horizontally and is transversely concave as at 56 for cooperatively receiving the opposite side portion of pipe P.

A suitable coiled spring is interposed between the opposite side of the said piston and said cylinder adapted to normally return said piston, piston rod, and shoe 54- to an inoperative position upon release of pressure fluid.

The pipe bending operation contemplates intermittent controlled projection of the said shoe 54 against longitudinally spaced portions selectively of the said pipe as it bears against the stationary dies 49 to thereby achieve the desired amount of curvature or bending of the said pipe or conduit while the same is supportably positioned horizontally upon opposite sides of the bender upon the supports 12.

As shown in Fig. 2, there is indicated fragmentarily at 56 a suitable storage box within which the pipe bender mechanism may be stored if desired when not in use.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6, show a slightly different construction of the pipe bending table. In this case, instead of the pipe bender mechanism being vertically adjustable, this mechanism is stationary, and on the other hand, the cross supports for the table are themselves vertically adjustable, depending upon the diameter of conduit being bent.

For this purpose there is fragmentarily shown in Fig. 4 a hollow rectangular frame 57 which has arranged upon its opposite longitudinal sides the depending series of boxes 5S shown on an enlarged scale and in elevation on Figs. 5 and 6.

Said boxes include the upright end walls 59 and the bottom wall 60, defining an interior chamber 6l within which are housed aseries of pivotal shims 63 which are arranged in vertical stacks on top of each other and which are transversely apertured at one end for receiving the upright pivot pin 62 which is suitably anchored within a portion of the box. v

Upon the exterior of the side frame elements 57 there are arranged a series of longitudinally spaced upright cylindrical guides 64 adapted to slidably receive the depending arrns 65 secured adjacent the opposite ends of the transversely arranged longitudinally spaced parallel pipe support bars 66.

As shown in Fig. 5, the said bar 66 may rest directly upon the frame 57 with the shirns 63 swivelled out of registery with arms 65.

Alternately, however, the cross bars 66 may be vertically adjusted by selecting the desired number of shirns 63 and rotating the same into registry with the lower end 67 of arm 65 whereby the top shim so registering with the arm is adapted to support the said arm.

Of course, in this case it is essential that all of the boxes 58 be provided with the same arrangement of shirns and have the same adjustments so that each of the cross bars 66 will be of exactly the same heightv at any time.

The illustration in Fig. 5 shows the lowermost position of the pipe supports 66, Whereas Fig. 6 fragmentarily illustrates the uppermost position of the transversely arranged vertically adjustable pipe supports.

lt is contemplated also that the pipe supports 66 may be of different lengths if desired to more easily accommodate the pipe or conduit as it is being bent.

While it is possible that the conduits could lay across and be supported upon the cross braces 12, I have found in the preferred embodiment that it is advantageous to use a horizontal platform or cover plate 68 which is fragmentarily shown in Figs. l and 2.

ln the preferred embodiment I have also shown a bevel gear operated conventional type of lifting jack. It is contemplated that any other sort of jack means may be employed to accomplish the present invention as, for example, a hydraulic cylinder or any other vertical reciprocal means.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the claims which follow for determining the scope thereof.

l claim:

l. ln a conduit bending table, a horizontal conduit supporting platform elevated above the ground surface and having a central opening therein, a second horizontal platform rigidly suspended from the rst platform below its opening, jack means secured upon theisecond platform and having a vertically adjustable element, and a third horizontal platform loosely and guidablyrpositioned within said opening and mounted upon said element for movement therewith, a conduit bender secured upon said third platform, said bender consisting of a pair of longitudinally spaced concave conduit retaining dies, and an intermediate conduit engaging and bending shoe, central axes of said dies and shoe lying in a horizontal plane and being coplaner and adapted for operative registry with the longitudinal axis of said conduit, whereby the conduit, regardless of diameter, may be supported on said first platform with said bender vertically adjustable on said third platform for correct operative registry with said conduit.

.7.. The table of claim l, the securing of said bender including a pair of conduit bender hold-down clamps adjustably mounted upon said third platform.

3. The table of claim l, there being a pair of parallel transverse elongated slots extending through said third platform, the securing of said conduit bender including a pair of conduit bender hold-down clamps including securing bolts extending through said slots and positioned above said third platform.

4. The table of claim 1, and a plurality of spaced pairs of upright guide rods and cooperating tubes in sliding assembled relation with their outer ends respectively secured to said second and third platforms.

5. The table of claim 1, a plurality of upright rods secured upon said second platform adjacent its corners, and a plurality of upright rod receiving guide tubes secured to said third platform and depending from adjacent its corners.

6. The table of claim l, said jack means including a bevel gear limited to rotary movement in a horizontal plane and threadedly engaging a vertical adjustable element which extends therethrough, and a manually rotatable shaft journaled on said second platform and carrying a bevel gear meshing with said iirst gear.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 78,420 Bryan June 2, 1868 856,847 Connors June 11, 1907 1,337,587 Bennett Apr. 2o, 1920 1,796,696 Trimue Mar. 17, 1931 2,604,924 Blake et a1 July 29, -1952 

